Two Weeks
by Cocollyt YTwyla
Summary: This is a lemon about Zidane and Garnet that takes a little AU liberty with when Steiner and Eiko met. I've never done this before. Hope you all like it.


Zidane dreamed of blue. He woke up pouring sweat and confused. Jolted out of this cot. Where was he? What the hell was that noise? Why does it feel like I'm falling? he wondered frantically.

He heard Cinna yelling, and it came back to him. They were on one last journey, Tantalus was recruited once again to help Cid and Lindblum. Zidane and his party were given permission by the acting regent and General Beatrix to take Dagger, (or the soon to be 'Queen Garnet' he thought, dismayed), on the grounds that Steiner accompany them.

Baku insisted that they take the Prima Vista, having fixed it to his satisfaction. Unfortunately, they seemed to have hit an unexpected patch of storms near an uncharted area of the mist continent. As he headed above deck, he heard a cacophony of crew trying to keep the ship afloat, and losing the battle rapidly. Zidane sprung into action, heading back down to the sleeping quarters to warn everyone of the turbulence and potential impact.

Vivi was already out in the hall, and followed as the situation was quickly explained to him. They woke the rest of the sleeping passengers. He was surprised that Steiner hadn't gotten up to protect the princess, he thought smugly. After knocking on the door to the girl's room he entered, finding Freya, Eiko and Dagger huddled up in the corner.

"Cmon, I know where the safest place is in case we crash land." "What's going on?" Eiko shouted, almost in tears. "It looks like we hit a rough patch of sky and the repairs may not hold, follow me!" He scooped her up with one arm and took Dagger's hand with the other, exchanging glances with Freya. She nodded and grabbed Vivi's hand. The airship rocked, unsteady. The group made their way to the most structurally sound area of the ship, he began throwing out anything that might become a projectile, Freya followed suite and they quickly cleared the room.

He heard clanking metal. He groaned internally, hoping a little selfishly that he could be Dagger's hero without sharing the credit for once. "YOUR HIGHNESS, WHERE ARE YOU!" Steiner shouted down the hall. Zidane swung the door open. "In here, Rusty! Hurry up!" The knight waddled over and took cover with the group.

Zidane realized he couldn't leave his brothers, so he hopped up. "I have to find out what's going on" he shouted over the increasing din of the engines and groaning of the ship. Dagger's eyes widened. He stopped and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry, I have to help them, Steiner will keep you safe. I've survived wrecks in this hunk of junk before, you should be fine. Just stay huddled, all of you!" and with that he headed up to see what the situation was.

Before he could make it down the hall, he heard the sound of trees hitting the bottom of the ship. Oh shit, he thought. Too late to help, he headed back. He made his way just as the turbulence began to make walking impossible. Suddenly the rest of the crew was behind him. He was pushed into the room by Blank, while Baku's voice boomed over the crunching of tree tops. "We're crashing! Everyone buckle up!" Eiko looked confused. "There's seatbelts?" she asked, surveying the room desperately. "No it's just a turn of phrase!" hollered Baku. She looked furious and dove into Zidane's arms. "Protect me! I'm precious cargo!" He grabbed her and Vivi and huddled over them just as the ship made an abrupt touchdown.

It was much harder than any crash they had experienced before. The normally sturdy boards above them splintered, the joists grunted apart, and a beam began to fall. He quickly yanked the kids away, but wasn't fast enough to avoid a nasty hit on his arm. They collapsed in a pile of relative safety.

Suddenly the motion stopped. The eerie quiet and complete stillness were disconcerting.

Steiner spoke first. "Princess, are you okay?" he asked. Everyone else started talking at once. The assessment of wounds was taken. At once it occurred to them that they were missing someone. "Quina!" Zidane shot out of the room to find his/her cot. It was a mess, and they were hurt. "Zidane this no good situation, I feel much pain, do not think food will fix". He had never heard Quina say anything like that. The others emerged to see the situation. "Quina is hurt badly." he said, feeling incredibly guilty that he had forgotten him/her in the rush.

"There's a small village on the map Uncle Cid gave me. I don't know if it still exists, though." Dagger intoned. "How the hell do you know where we are, lass?" Baku asked. "I was tracking our journey via compass and stars until I fell asleep last night." Zidane was impressed. He smiled to himself but turned his attention back to Quina. "We have to get them to a medic, how far is the town, Dagger?" "About half a days walk if we are where I predict we are." He nodded, but groaned inwardly at the idea of carrying Quina for that long.

The makeshift stretcher allowed them to distribute his/her weight between the crew. Zidane ignored his own wounds and took the lead. "Zidane you're hurt!" Dagger said, shocked at the amount of blood dripping down his arm. "I'll be okay but he/she might not. I can put off my first aid for a bit." Dagger looked worried, but deferred to his judgement.

—-—-

They trudged through the thick, misty fields and forests for hours. Zidane trusted Dagger, but the others began to grumble. "What if she doesn't know where we're going?" Marcus complained. Zidane shot him a look, he backed down, glowering and mumbling about how much they had already trekked. As if to answer his question, the hill they were ascending gave way to a small valley. "Smoke!" Vivi exclaimed. "Those are chimneys." Eiko chimed in. "There must be a village down there." said Dagger, confidently. Marcus continued to look sour, muttering about how the locals might be as likely to want to eat them as they would greet them. "Have faith." Dagger said with a firm tone, as she marched ahead boldly, leading the way with graceful authority. She already looks like a queen, Zidane mused.

As they passed a weathered and rickety looking tower, a voice called out. "Lali Ho! What is your business here?" a ruddy faced, impish looking man peered down at them. "Sir, we crashed near here, and our friend is badly injured. Is there a medic in the town who could help us?" Zidane asked. "Well sure, we'll get your friend looked at, but tell me," he squinted, "how is it you've crashed when we are landlocked for as far as the eye can see? Must have been walking for weeks if you've come from the shore." Everyone exchanged glances, unsure as to how to explain airship technology quickly. "Sir, we can explain everything in detail, but…" he glanced at the stretcher. "Yeah, let's get your crewman some help." He climbed down and motioned for them to follow. "Quite a crew ya got here." the man observed. "I'm Cauos. I'm a watcher. This is the town of Ivenguard. Don't worry about introducing yourselves, let's get to the medic."

The medic, while obviously confused about Quina's anatomy, was kind and reassuring. "It's going to be about two weeks before this break is mended enough for your friend to walk unassisted." He smiled. "Go to the inn, tell them Doctor Calis sent you, I'm sure they will let you stay a night or two for free while you figure out what to do. As for me, I'm grateful enough to practice my rusty technique on a real patient that I'll waive the fee." He winked. Dagger bowed. "We cannot thank you enough for this kindness, but when I return to my kingdom, I will make sure you are properly compensated." "Kingdom?" he asked quizzically. "Yes, sir, I am the ruler of Alexandria, and it's realms." Dagger answered. "Hmmm, never heard of it." he said dismissively. She was a little taken aback, having grown accustomed to awe at revealing her status. "Well, uh, I will certainly make sure you know of us when we reward your efforts." Dagger stammered, flustered. The doctor still looked unimpressed. Zidane, amused, stepped in. "Thanks again, doc, we'll check in at the inn." He chuckled as he lead the _queen_ out the door.

The inn was surprisingly large. Odd, since they must not get many visitors, Zidane thought. Their group were welcomed at the front desk by a man and woman, both of whom had the same stature and complexion of the watcher. "Lali Ho!" The man waved to them. "What a pleasant surprise!" the woman exclaimed. "Welcome to the Ivy Inn, how can we help you?" Dagger didn't step forward this time, still feeling awkward about her place out here. Zidane greeted them. "Hello, we were sent by Doctor Calis, our friend is in his clinic, and my other friends and I are-" "Oh that's my brother. Let me guess, he sent you here with the idea that we'd give you a discount on room and board." the man deadpanned.

Dagger stepped up. "Oh, sir, we _can_ pay but just-" "No no, don't be silly, I'm giving you a hard time. We don't run this inn for a living." He laughed heartily. "We'd never eat if that were the case!" Everyone looked confused. The woman spoke. "We're a small, bountiful village, most of us help tend to the farming and hunting until we can't anymore. We need for very little, and we so seldom have visitors that it's a treat for us to show off our beautiful little town." She smiled broadly. "We'd love for your people to stay, if you're willing to put in a little work around here you don't have to worry about payment." "Of course!" "Yeah, sounds great!" The group exchanged nods.

Now cheerful, they began to divide rooms. The Tantalus crew took to an area down the hall, away from the rest of the inn. Vivi and Steiner found a room with two beds. Dagger, Eiko and Freya found a room for three, with the former two sharing a bunk. The innkeepers looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I guess I miscounted. There is one room available, but it's more of a library with a bed than a proper room." the woman explained apologetically to Zidane. He smiled cheerfully. "Hey, I'm just happy not to have to sleep in a wrecked ship!" Any potential disappointment gave way to awe as he walked into his room. It was a library. With a bed. And a fireplace. "This was our oldest daughters room, so apologies for lack of traditional amenities." Zidane hid his excitement, he didn't want to hear it from the guys about the library aspect.

They were all exhausted, heading to their respective beds with only bellies full of rations. No one had the energy to propose cooking tonight.

—-—-

Dagger woke up to her stomach making obscene noises. "I'M STARVING." Eiko wailed plaintively. Freya agreed, and they made their way to the common room to find Vivi and Zidane holding rucksacks and a coin purse. "I'm gonna take this gold into town and see if we can barter for some food." "Yes!" Dagger said more enthusiastically than she meant to. Eiko grabbed Vivi and dragged him out the door, Dagger giggled at their antics, giddy with hunger and exhaustion. "Do you mind if I stay here and tend to some things?" Freya asked. "Of course! There's too many of us going as it is, honestly." Zidane responded.

They headed to the store, only catching up with the kids as they entered the shop. "Do you have any food?" Eiko ran in, practically shouting. The shopkeeper was taken off guard. "Well yes, and who might you be?" Zidane stepped forward to explain their situation. The shopkeeper agreed that the gold would be a fine payment for his wares.

Dagger and Zidane wandered around the little market, filling their sacks. He turned to pick something up and she noticed his arm, instinctively she reached for the wound. He winced and she pulled away quickly, apologizing. "It's much worse than I realized, do you want me to cast cure?" He gave her a half smile. "No it's healing, I'm not worried about it." "You were very brave during that incident." she said solemnly. He snorted. "_No_. You were." She met his gaze. "I owe you a date." she reminded him. "We essentially have two weeks of forced vacation, this is a good time." It went unspoken that this was also the last time. He ran his hands through his hair, Dagger was surprised that he seemed nervous. "Uh sure. Should I get… dinner stuff? Or…?" She looked thoughtful. "No, I think we shall have a picnic." she declared.

They were greeted as heroes by the rest of the starving crew. After breakfast, Dagger strayed off to have a word with the innkeeper. Zidane noticed she was now carrying a picnic basket, which she proffered to him. "Today?" he asked, pleasantly surprised that she was actually following through, and so quickly. She nodded. "Okay! Lemme pack this up."

"No." Steiner said plainly. "You are not to be alone with that scoundrel." Dagger shook her head, and with a firmness that surprised both of them, she said simply: "I'm going. We shall be back before long." She wandered off to see if Zidane had finished packing. She was ready to get away from Steiner. He had been different since her mother died. Overprotective. Well, she supposed she couldn't fault him for that, but it had a tone that was starting to make her uncomfortable, though she couldn't put her finger on exactly why.

Zidane met her near the entrance. "Where are you going?" Eiko scampered up to them, hoping to tag along. She was bored with Vivi and the inn. "On a date." Dagger answered. Eiko's eyes narrowed. "Oh." She pursed her lips and stomped off. "A date, huh?" Blank stood there with his arms crossed. "Yup, headin out now." Zidane tried to lead Dagger out with his hand at the small of her back, but she quickly removed it. "Don't press your luck." He heard a "Heh." from Blank as they walked out the door.

They reached the edge of town, Zidane grabbed an apple from the basket and began enthusiastically telling Dagger about this _magical _spot that would be perfect for them, spitting fruit at her in the process. She wiped his spittle away. He looked mortified, and apologized profusely. They walked on until Zidane paused and told her to stay where she was. He then made a running leap, which somehow became a backflip on the way down. "It's over there! ...I think." "You think?" "Eh, well Vivi and I saw it when I was climbing trees yesterday, and I hadn't actually been to it, but it looked magical." "Magical, huh?" She raised an eyebrow. He was starting to feel embarrassed. This wasn't going the way he hoped.

He pulled out his knives and began to clear brush so they could make their way through, but found that they were dull. He swore, frustrated that this was the least smooth impression he'd ever made on a date, and of course it was his one shot with **Dagger**_. _Ugh. He did his best to lead her through safely, but she still ended up taking a stalk of grass to the face at one point. This was _not_ going well.

—-—-

He heard her gasp before he saw what she was looking at. It _was _magical. The clearing was filled with a rainbow of flowers and exotic grasses. They heard the songs of unfamiliar birds lilting through the meadow. At least one thing went right, he thought as he laid the blanket down.

He observed her unsuccessfully trying to arrange her long hair to keep it from her face. "I can help with that." he offered. She expected him to give her his ponytail holder, instead he plopped behind her and began running his fingers through her grey streaked locks. "I used to help Rubey with the wigs." he explained as he separated her hair into strands. He spent so long that she was starting to wonder if he was styling it or just playing with it. It felt nice either way, so she didn't object.

Zidane noticed her bald patch, and his heart sank. How could they have been so cruel to her as a child? Dagger was Eiko's age when they forcibly removed her horn, and he shuddered imagining how painful and frightening it must have been for her. What if they took my tail, he bristled. What gave them the right to take away what made her different, what made her special? He leaned in instinctually and kissed the empty patch. If she noticed she said nothing.

Dagger was incredulous when he finally finished, at this point not sure what he was doing back there. He flung her newly created braid over her shoulder, and she noted that it was dotted with small white flowers, with a larger long stemmed one securing the base. It was beautiful. She thanked him and continued to marvel for a moment at the intricacy of his work.

She unpacked the basket, raising an eyebrow when she got to the bottle of wine at the bottom. "Um, it's okay if you don't want to drink that, I just thought-" She poured glasses before he had a chance to finish his sentence. "To our continued friendship!" she said, heartbreakingly. He toasted reluctantly to that. "Bottoms up!" "Wait what?" Zidane asked before realizing that she was, in fact, imbibing her entire glass in one sip. He followed her lead. "Wow that was. Uh. Wow. You sure can drink." She smiled knowingly, feeling more relaxed. "There wasn't much else to do at state dinners besides sneak drinks and dodge handsy princes."

They sat quietly. Zidane imagined Dagger in that scenario and realized he knew nothing about her life other than what he'd learned over the course of their journey. He laid back, arms behind his head, still lost in thought. She laid next to him, arms crossed over her stomach, staring at the cloud formations.

"What's being a princess like?"

"Meaningless."

He was surprised at the succinct response. "Oh. Can I ask why you feel that way?" She looked over at him. "The only meaning I've found is journeying with you. This fight has a purpose. Mother fought…" she trailed off thinking of the soldiers deployed to die at the queen's whim. "I thought I knew so much, my education was so thorough… but when I met all of you, I realized how little of the world I truly knew. It all seems so meaningless now. I can recite every verse of Lord Avon's plays, but I'd never learned to cook for myself. The things that mattered, the basics, all taken care of. I was essentially a very smart child. The world is so much different than what I was taught, and I resent being kept in a cage, helpless, for so long."

"Until I met you," she continued, "I didn't know that the commoners (he twitched a little at her use of that word) were smarter than royalty. I'd never met anyone who was so… bold."

"Yeah I was pretty, uh, bold." he said, remembering his first clumsy attempt at a come on. She glanced over at him. "I mean I'm only human!" he said, raising his tail between them. "Or something."

Laying under the open sky, neither spoke for a minute. "So you don't remember anything about your home?" He shook his head. "Just blue light." he answered quietly. "Have you ever… met anyone like you?" She reached for his tail, but he switched it away. "Uh uh, never."

"Is it hard to be around Baku? When you told me that night in the Black Mage village that he… hit you… when you were younger, I became so angry at him. I'll never see him in the same way." she said, with an edge to her voice. Zidane stiffened. He swallowed hard. She looked over again and saw the sadness in his face. "I'm sorry." She rolled over and threw her arms around him. "I'm so sorry." His body relaxed a little. "It's okay."

He put his arm around her, and they laid together, both thinking about the sorrow that the other had endured, both feeling the urge to comfort each other.

After a while Zidane cleared his throat. "I hate to say this but…" Dagger sighed. "Yeah, we should pack up."

They reluctantly assembled their things. As they got to the edge of the meadow, Zidane offered her his hand. She took it. It felt electric. This wasn't the first time he'd held her hand, but it was different now. Neither thought much about this change, but they both felt it. They walked home, chatting breezily. He was disappointed but unsurprised when she dropped his hand as they approached civilization.

"I need to sharpen my knives when I get back." he remembered out loud. She responded "I have some mending to do, would you like company?" Zidane smiled. "Sure. I'd love that."

—-—-

"Wow! Your hair is so pretty Princess Dagger!" Eiko squealed. Dagger smiled, and told her that Zidane was responsible for her lovely locks. "I especially like the heart!" "Heart?" Dagger asked. "Yeah, in the back, see?" Eiko ran to grab a mirror. Dagger inspected the back of her head, and sure enough, there was a heart shaped flower creation nestled into her hair. Her own heart leapt. She felt dizzy, but in a pleasant way.

Zidane gathered his tools and met Dagger out in back of the inn, by a small pond. She looked like an angel. She had changed into the white dress they were "married" in. Smiling beatifically, she said "I thought I would do your lovely hair creation justice with a proper outfit." They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, the reverie interrupted by clanking armor.

"Princess, I have been searching all over for you." Steiner announced. He looked Zidane up and down with disdain. "You have kept your word regarding this "date" business, you no longer need to keep this boy company." "I'm fine, Steiner, _he's_ keeping _me_ company while I darn these torn underthings." she answered. "You should NOT be doing such menial labor, your highness!" he exclaimed. "Rusty, someone has to do it, and Dagger is part of the team. Don't treat her like a child." Zidane and Garnet exchanged knowing glances. Their gaze lingered long enough to make Steiner uncomfortable. "I insist that you find someone else to do this task." "Okay. You do it then, Rusty." Zidane said coolly. Steiner sputtered angrily. "Help out or shut the hell up." He sauntered over and grabbed a pile of unsewn clothes and threw them at the hapless knight. "You're part of the team too, since you insisted on coming along." He smiled privately, knowing damn well that Steiner's thick fingers wouldn't even be able to thread a needle, let alone stitch delicately.

As predicted, Zidane finished sharpening his and everyone else's weapons before Steiner had even finished one article of clothing. He offered to sharpen the knight's sword, only to be met with a tirade about Alexandrian Steel and how a ne'er do well like him wouldn't know the first thing about such fine smithing. Zidane rolled his eyes and joined their sewing circle. Dagger looked surprised that he began handily mending. "Let me guess, you helped Rubey with the costumes too?" Zidane snorted and shrugged, causing her to let out an involuntary giggle, further angering Steiner.

After they finished, the three of them lugged their things back to the inn. Zidane caught Dagger's attention. "Hey. Uh. So tonight, at dinner. Will you maybe let me know if my manners are… um." He paused awkwardly. "Y'know I didn't have etiquette lessons, and I'm sorry about that apple business earlier…" She smiled and touched his arm. "Of course."

—-—-

That evening at dinner, when Zidane seated himself next to Dagger, everyone else at the table faded away as they smiled at each other. Cinna had cooked a feast for them, laying a spread of meats and roasted vegetables before the grateful gathering. While Zidane began to serve Dagger, Steiner glowered. "Your highness, he should not be touching your food. Who knows what diseases that monkey has picked up." She gave him an admonishing stare but otherwise ignored his rude interruption.

Zidane kept her gaze as she hinted for him to put his napkin on his lap. He looked at her again as he began to cut his meat, she made show of holding her utensils the proper way, and Zidane followed suite. Each step of the process he looked to her and waited for demonstration or an approving nod. Freya and Blank watched this dance for a bit. "Is she... teaching him table manners?" Blank asked quietly. "I think so." Freya said incredulously, her voice trailing off as she paid attention to the spectacle.

Eiko dropped her fork with a clatter, diving below the table to retrieve the errant utensil. "EW! Zidane why is your tail up her skirt?" Steiner leapt up. "GET AWAY FROM HER THIS INSTANT" he roared. Zidane wasn't prepared for this and tried to explain that it had merely been wrapped around her ankle. "GET OUT!" Steiner bellowed. Zidane looked at Dagger, but she was staring at her plate.

"Dagger?"

She met his eyes.

"I'm sorry." she mumbled quietly.

"What? You want me to...?" His jaw dropped.

Dagger looked at him again and saw something she'd never seen. Anger. He was angry at her. She felt dizzy again, but it was not the pleasant feeling from earlier. Zidane stabbed his fork into his meat furiously, then abruptly stood up. "Zidane come sit with us." Freya implored. He ignored her and stalked off to his room, slamming the door shut.

Dagger stared at her plate, tears rolling down her cheeks. A flower fell from her hair. Seeing it wilting on the table made her sick to her stomach. "Now that the trash is cleared, we may enjoy our meal." Steiner said smugly. She gave him a hurt look. "Princess." His tone softened. "You must understand that this is for the best." Dagger stood up without a word. "Where are you going, your highness?" She gave him an icy glare. "I am retiring for the evening. Enjoy your meal. Do what you will."

—-—-

Dagger cried until she fell asleep. She woke to painful hunger, having left her plate untouched earlier. Freya was still up and greeted her quietly. The princess made her way to the larder, and prepared a plate of cold meat. As she was walking out she heard raucous laughter. Unbeknownst to her, Zidane had also awoken hungry, but was pulled into the bar area by his crewmates for a sound roasting. She paused to listen. "You goddamn FOOL! You think yer gonna get some off a princess? No, wait, a QUEEN! Gwahahaha." It was Baku's unmistakable laugh. "Yeah you idiot, what's she gonna do with a lowlife scumbag like you?" That sounded like Cinna. Blank spoke now: "You're lucky that knight of hers doesn't kill you. He's sworn to protect her with his life, y'know." "I'm pretty sure that includes her virtue." Marcus joined in. Dagger felt nauseous hearing herself discussed like this. "Fuck off, all of you!" This time it was Zidane speaking. His anger was greeted by more drunken laughter. He made his way out only to find himself face to face with Dagger.

"Hey." She said quietly. He didn't answer. He didn't look at her. She studied his face and realized that he had been crying. It was shocking to see him like this. He looked so small, she thought. "Hi." he said, finally, his voice gravelly. "Are you hungry?" She held up the plate she had made. "I think I've served myself too much, I'd be happy to share." He hesitated. She reached for his hand but he pulled away quickly, as if it hurt him. He looked like a wounded puppy. They stood there for a moment in a sad silence. She reached again for his hand, and he didn't pull away this time. She led him out to the pond where earlier the mood had been so different.

They sat apart, and she put the plate between them. He gave her an unsure look, to which she pushed the plate closer. He picked up a piece of chicken and began tearing into it. After he cleaned the bones of several pieces, he licked his fingers and wiped his hands on his pants. She offered him a napkin, but he swatted it away, glaring at her. I deserve that, she thought, realizing it was reminiscent of their table manners lesson. They again sat quietly. Both were hurt and embarrassed by what happened earlier.

Several minutes passed before she spoke. "Zidane. I heard what they were saying in there." He winced. Suddenly the words were spilling out of her. "You aren't a scumbag! You aren't a lowlife! You're a hero. You're smart, resourceful, kind, handsome, brave, thoughtful. I am not better than you!" she exclaimed. She threw herself into him, surprising him with her fierceness. She cried into his chest, rephrasing what she'd said, hoping for any reaction from him. "Well? Do you have any thoughts about this? Good or bad, I just need to know."

He was stoic for a minute, but a small smile crept across his lips. "You really think I'm handsome?" "Oh, Zidane!" She cried again, but it was relief this time.

Dagger and Zidane stared into each other's eyes, and it felt more intimate than anything either of them had ever experienced. "What are we doing?" he asked. "I don't know." she answered. He leaned in and kissed her. After pulling away, she wiped the chicken grease off her lips. "Oh my gods that wasn't your first kiss, was it?" "Yes." "Uggggh." he groaned with his face in his hand. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked, alarmed at his reaction. "No, I did. I'm sorry I didn't use a napkin." For the first time ever, he heard her laugh. A full, throaty laugh. It was contagious. They laughed until their sides hurt.

After a while he noticed her breathing becoming rhythmic and quiet. He scooped her sleeping body into his arms, but when he got to the door, he realized his plan was stupid. "Um, Dagger, wake up." "What?" she looked around, confused. "I was gonna take you to your bedroom, but I feel like that's a bad call after tonight." "Oh." "Just to sleep, I wasn't gonna do anything, uh, untoward. I just thought the optics might be…"

He set her down. They stood there awkwardly for a moment. "Well, um, goodnight." he said and turned toward his room. "Oh! Uh, goodnight, Zidane." "Wait." he said. "What am I doing?" He leapt into the air, catching a ceiling beam and hanging by his tail. "Hey, Dagger, c'mere." He swung toward her and pulled her back toward him. He kissed her, deeply. When it was over he hopped down and bowed to her. "Good night, Your Grace." He kissed her hand. She laughed again. It was like music. He headed to his room, leaving her breathless. Freya greeted her when she got to her room. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Princess." She didn't mention that she'd heard Zidane's voice in the hall.

—-—-

Dagger woke up trying to remember if last night was real or just a vision. She was pleased to find that Steiner and Vivi had headed out early to train and then forage. They should be gone most of the morning. Making a beeline to Zidane's room, she knocked quietly. The door opened slightly, he peeked through the crack. "Dagger! Hey, good morning." His smile was genuine and his eyes were bright and hopeful. She glanced around conspiratorially. "Steiner is away for the morning, want to go on another picnic?" He looked surprised, but gave her a sly look. "Sure, lemme pack a basket."

"Where are you two going?" Freya asked with a smile. "Picnic." Zidane answered curtly. "At 8am?" she looked amused. "Yep. No time like the present! C'mon Dagger." He escorted her out. She did not remove his hand this time.

They arrived at the small path Zidane had attempted to hack through yesterday. Today he was grateful that his dull knives hadn't made their entrance obvious. Privacy, he thought, relieved and excited.

She laid the blanket down and sat with her legs crossed. He unpacked the basket, making a sad noise when he got to the bottom. "I forgot cups." Dagger shrugged. "Ok." She grabbed the wine and took a swig from the bottle. He looked impressed, and followed her lead. They drank until the bottle was empty.

"You know why we were so hungry last night?" he asked. She cocked her head, worried that he was going to bring up dinner. "We forgot to eat the lunch we packed. I didn't even have to pack anything new." They exchanged smiles, which lingered until they felt drawn toward each other.

He leaned into kiss her, holding her face gently. She responded well at first, but pulled away when she felt his tongue. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Uh, sorry. I just thought you wanted to…" "No, no, I do! I just wasn't expecting-" They spoke over each other. Zidane leaned back. "I said I wanted to." she looked confused. "Ok, let's." He shrugged playfully. She still looked baffled. "You can do anything you want." He gave her a wry smile. "Um, okay." The normally composed future queen was unsure of how to proceed. She leaned in and clumsily mashed her lips to his. Zidane suppressed a laugh, he didn't want to scare her off, but he couldn't help but be amused at seeing Dagger awkwardly fumbling for once.

Zidane took the lead again, they laid on the blanket. He was surprised at the urgency with which she pawed at him. At some points he felt her hands tugging at the bottom of his shirt. After a while he felt her palms on the bare skin of his back, and though it was immensely enjoyable, he worried that it was going to get out of hand too quickly. He knew she wasn't going to take her clothes off, and while he had no interest in getting caught out here, it seemed especially pointless if he were the only one undressing. Why am I being the voice of reason here? He thought, annoyed.

After a while he looked up at the sun and realized they had lost track of time. He decided against mentioning it immediately, in favor of getting a little revenge for the months of frustration he felt around her. He moved his body closer, she responded in kind. He slid his hand down to the back of her thigh. Gently he caressed the area, but when he felt her position herself closer to his hand, he pulled back.

"We should go." He sat up.

"What?" Dagger looked confused. It pleased him that her cheeks were flushed.

"Well, I'm sure Steiner will be back soon." That was all it took to make her sit up and begin packing.

He decided to ask one last time, it seemed like the right moment. "Hey Dagger, want a piggyback ride?" She considered it for a moment. "Sure." "Really?" He couldn't believe she finally accepted his offer.

He bent down, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He spread her thighs, hiking her up. Suddenly she realized why he never allowed Eiko to do this, and why he was always asking her. His tail nestled neatly between her legs, and she found the sensation oddly pleasurable.

Zidane knew what he was doing, and he could feel her inching her way down his back to position her ass right above his tail. He swore he heard her moan, but he couldn't be sure. He made sure to take a slightly longer and much bumpier route home. He could feel her pushing against him, and at one point as they crested a hill he had to reposition her, he was positive he heard a little noise of pleasure. As they approached the town he set her down. She was blushing still. "Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked knowingly. She gave him a small smile and wordlessly took his hand.

—-—-

"How was the picnic?" Freya asked as the entered the common area. "Great!" Zidane answered. "I'm starving." He said, stretching lazily. "Wait, didn't you just go on a picnic?" Blank asked, looking suspicious. "Oh yeah." Zidane laughed, but gave no other explanation, heading to the pantry. They heard Dagger giggle as they were out of sight. "We forgot to eat again." she whispered loudly. Blank stuck his head around the corner in time to see Zidane squeeze Dagger's rear playfully. "This is not going to end well." he said to Freya. "No. It's not." she agreed.

Dagger was unloading their untouched, two day old lunch while Zidane appreciably watched her bend over. Suddenly he noticed it. A small wet spot between her legs. His mind went wild with desire. I did that, he thought, remembering her little moans and wiggles during the ride home. She stood up to find him hovering over her in an aggressive stance. "Zidane?" He grunted, and without dropped her gaze, he kicked the door shut. Before she knew what was going on, they were up against a wall.

He repeated the familiar steps of the piggyback ride, but this time he wrapped her around his front. She responded to his urgency with her own, and they entwined themselves.

"I want you so badly."

"Here? Now?" Why didn't he want to do this before? She wondered.

"Yes." He mumbled, kissing her neck. "Okay." she responded. "Okay? Yes?!" his voice cracked. "Yes." she answered again. "Oh gods this is all I've ever wanted." His voice was guttural as he worked his way down her neck. She felt his hands grasping at the bow of her blouse. He better appreciate me leaving my bandeau off today, she thought.

Zidane tremendously appreciated her lack of bra. He worked his way further down and made himself at home in her blouse. "You're so beautiful." he whispered, making the hairs on her arms stand up. He tugged at the strings of her corset now, make short work of the lacing. He was surprised that letting it out didn't seem to change her shape at all. He wondered what the purpose was. To keep scoundrels like me out, he thought, amused, as he slid the straps of her jumpsuit down.

After a few minutes she felt him adjust his belt, pulling it to the side. He slid her down to where they were no longer face to face, but rather waist to waist. He pressed into her. She felt his tail curl around one of her wrists.

They were as close as they could physically be while still wearing pants, lost in their passion, until the door swung open abruptly. Zidane nearly dropped Dagger. He reached quickly for the picnic basket, holding it at his waist for cover. After regaining her balance, she quickly drew the strings of her blouse shut.

Blank stood there, appraising the situation. Zidane glared at him. "What the hell do you want?" "Oh, just getting some butter." Zidane went from annoyed to angry, but his demeanor dropped when Blank finished his sentence. "For Steiner. Who is here now, in the other room." Dagger gave him a grateful look. "You should probably go greet him, _your highness_." The end of the sentence had an acerbic tone that made Dagger feel mocked. She thanked him and began to walk out, but he grabbed her shoulder and cleared his throat. Confused, she glanced down to where he was staring. She quickly realized her corset was completely undone and went to work fixing it. Blank led her out by the shoulder, and turned to glare at Zidane. "Stay in here and cool off." he said, nodding at the strategically located picnic basket, slamming the door shut behind himself and the princess.

—-—-

They met up again just before dinner, Zidane was nervous after last night, but considering the day they had, he felt confident that there wouldn't be a repeat of the unpleasantness this evening. Steiner objected to the seating, of course, but Dagger waited for him to finish his rant and said, simply: "It's fine, Steiner. Leave him alone." She turned her back to him and ignored the knight for the rest of the meal.

Zidane couldn't stop thinking about their encounter in the cupboard. The floodgates were open. He still felt frisky, and emboldened by her response to Steiner, he decided to see if he could tease her a little. She felt something touching her ankle, and realized it was Zidane's tail, inching its way up her leg. She caught his eye. He smirked and gave it a noticeable twitch to catch her attention below the table. Her eyes widened in surprise, but he felt her legs move apart slightly. She did not seem to object. He prayed no one dropped their fork tonight.

The conversation was rousing as everyone shared the details of their respective days. Dagger and Zidane were lost in their own world, grateful that no one seemed to pay much attention to the faces she made as he worked his tail between her legs. As dinner wound down, he pulled back, she gave him an exaggerated pout.

After dinner, they headed to a couch in the common room, though he didn't sit as close as he wanted to, he was still enjoying her company. Remembering the library, he excused himself to grab a book. On his way back in, he passed the Tantalus crew playing cards and drinking. "Whatcha got, boy?" Baku slurred loudly. Dagger heard Zidane mumble something, then a torrent of loud laughter. "She got ya readin too? Gwhahaha! Yer a fool boy!" She'd had enough. She jumped up and stomped over to them. "Excuse me! You will **NOT **speak to Zidane in this manner. You're impeding his personal growth with your mockery." She saw Zidane's eyes widen as he shook his head to get her to stop. Baku stopped to consider her words, then burst out laughing so hard he had to wipe away tears. "Ya got her fightin for ya now too?" He howled again, the others joined him in his laughter. Except Blank, who met Zidane's gaze and simply shook his head.

After the ruckus, he reseated himself next to Dagger. "What are you reading?" she inquired. "It's a play, I think you'd like it too. Check this part out." He handed her the book, open to the frontispiece. In the margin was a handwritten note:

_D,_

_I loved seeing the look on your face at dinner tonight. I want to make you feel like that forever. I can't wait to be with you again. _

_Z_

She smiled as she read his writing. "It's lovely." she said in a hushed tone, trying not to catch anyone else's attention. She waltzed off with the tome without saying anything, coming back a moment later to present it to him. He turned to the front page and found, in her mannered writing, one word:

_Yes._

They both wanted nothing more than to get away right then, but Steiner was stalking about the grounds, and neither had the energy for a showdown. Dagger's heart leaped when she overheard Freya ask Steiner to join her for fight training during the day tomorrow. She caught Zidane's eye to see if he heard it to. He nodded imperceptibly to show that he had. They both smiled at their secret, unspoken plan.

It wasn't quite as secret as they assumed, however. Before bed, Freya mentioned to Dagger that she had arranged the session. It was clear that she did it to grant them some peace. It made her feel stronger to know the Burmecian Dragon Knight was on her side. She felt closer to their little party than ever thanks to this trip. It wasn't just her feelings about Zidane, suddenly she was experiencing the connections she never made locked away in a castle. They were now able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, the peace that they worked so hard to attain. This respite before facing the burden of ruling a kingdom was a blessing. She felt more whole having these bonds, and it was reminding her of what she fought so hard for, and why. She smiled at Freya and thanked her one last time before turning out the light to sleep.

—-—-

"WHY CAN'T I GO!?" Eiko shouted shrilly, waking Dagger and infuriating Steiner. "Because you will be a distraction." he growled. "Ah! Princess, you look well this morning. I'm glad to see there will be someone to watch this brat, er, _child_ while Madam Freya and I spar." Freya had a pained look at hearing this. "I'm sorry." she mouthed to Dagger from behind Steiner. "It's okay." she mouthed back. "Of course, Steiner." she said. She smiled so brightly he could never have imagined her internal monologue.

When he made his way to the common area, Zidane greeted her excitedly, but his mood dissipated when she delivered the news. His mind turned. He had an idea.

"CINNA!" Zidane practically knocked him down in his haste. "What?" grunted the chef. "Hey, I need to call in that favor." Cinna looked angry already. "For what?" he asked tersely. "So, I need some alone time with Dagger, but we're stuck with Eiko, can you just watch her for a few hours?" "Babysitting. You want to call in _that _favor for BABYSITTING? Zidane are you serious?" "Please." The teenager looked desperate, and for a moment Cinna felt bad for him. He'd been young and stupid and in love once too, and he couldn't bring himself to say no. "What do I do with her?" "You'll do it?" Cinna rolled his eyes. "Fine." Suddenly he was encompassed by an exuberant hug. "Calm down, I'm not your girl." "Sorry!" he heard Zidane say as he sprinted down the hall to find the girls.

"DAGGER! CINNASAIDHEDWATCHHERWEDONTHAVEMUCHTIMELETSGO!" He grabbed Eiko and practically threw her at his crewmate. "THANKSAGAINWELLBEBACKTHISAFTERNOON." He shouted as he dragged Dagger out the door.

They stopped for meat pies at a small shop. Walking, talking and eating proved too much for Dagger, and she choked a little. Zidane patted her back. He handed her a flask and she took a massive swig of it. "Oh hey, that's pretty strong, I've actually used it to clean with before." he chuckled. She gave him an easy smile. "I'll be fine." she said, throwing her head back and taking another long drink.

Heading out to the meadow again, they noticed the sky had an unfriendly aura to it. "While Vivi and I were out here the other day, there was a big hollow tree that might make for better cover if it rains." She agreed and they headed toward the woods. It began to rain as they reached the tree canopy. He decided it would be easier if he just carried her, so he hoisted her up and made a dash to shelter.

When they reached the tree, he set her down and proceeded to lean up against the side, one foot resting on the wall, hands behind his head. He was delighted that Dagger made her way over and straddled his leg. After they kissed for a while, he lead her to the center of the massive, hollow tree. She stumbled, he caught her, but she hiccuped as she righted herself. Oh no, she's drunk, he thought. I used my favor for this, he realized sadly. He spread the blanket and laid on his back, trying to figure out what to do now. Before he could stop her, she was on top of him. "Zidane." she slurred. "I heard Baku say you couldn't get any off me, and if that means what I think it does, I want you to know he's wrong." Noooooo. Not now! Why now? She continued: "I've wanted you since I saw you performing 'Canary'. I knew you all were going to kidnap me, and I made sure it was you who caught me." Oh gods why did she have to be drunk? "Dagger, this is _so _hot, seriously." He lifted her off him. She looked hurt and confused. "You're drunk, and I don't want to take advantage of you." "It's not! And I'm not!" she insisted. "It would be, and you are. I want to be with you, so, so badly, but I wouldn't forgive myself I took advantage of you." She sighed and laid her head on his chest. Before long she was asleep. Zidane had taken a sip of the liquor as well, and his head began to swim as he drifted off next to her.

He woke a sharp pain in his ankle and the sound of something scurrying in the dried leaves. He sat up and looked at the wound. He could feel it pulsing. He woke Dagger up and got her on her feet. She was still drunk. She begged him for a piggyback ride home, but he insisted on carrying her in a less provocative way. As they made their way through the threshold of the inn, he still carried her, they looked like haggard newlyweds.

—-—-

"Where the _hell_ have you been." Cinna confronted him. "I'm sorry, we got caught in the rain." Eiko ran up to Zidane and grabbed his shirt. "You liar! You're not even wet." "He might not be, but I am." Dagger piped up triumphantly, making sure to catch Baku's eye. She weaved and slurred, it was obvious to the men that she was drunk. Everyone stared at Zidane, shocked. Blank looked furious. "Dagger, we need to get you some water, follow me." Zidane said. He grabbed her hand and dragged her as quickly as he could away from the group. "What about meeeeee!" Eiko whined. He grunted, frustrated, and circled back to grab her hand as well. "Zidane, I feel sick." Dagger mumbled. He walked her to her bathroom, then lead Eiko to his room. "Here, read some books, I have to make sure Dagger is okay." He rushed back to hear the sounds of vomiting. Oh gods, this day! When Dagger made her way out of the bathroom, he got her onto her bed and procured a trash can and water. He reassured her that while he wasn't leaving, he couldn't be seen in her room with her in this condition. He headed to the hall to pace some more.

Freya walked in to Zidane shouting her name. "Freya! I'm so glad to see you." He looked manic. "Oh, well what can I-" before she finished he was pushing her toward her room. His voice was hushed now, "Dagger is drunk." "WHAT!" "Shhhhh… please listen." he hissed. "Did you…?" "No! No. I would never. I swear!" He looked at her, wide eyed, gesturing emphatically. She shook her head. "Zidane." she said in a disappointed tone. "Look, you know I can't go in there and help her. Will you?" he pleaded. Freya grimaced. "Make coffee. Now." He scattered at that, and she headed in to check on the princess.

"Princess Garnet." Freya's tone was firm, but kind. "Freya." she answered pitifully. Freya cut to the chase. "Did Zidane take advantage of you?" "No! I… he wasn't interested." She wouldn't look at her friend. She felt tears welling up, and choked them back. "I'm so embarrassed. I've acted foolishly." "Princess, you've been through so much, and you're so young. Sometimes… sometimes we do things when we're growing up that seem unforgivable, but in retrospect you realize that your youth was the right time to make these little mistakes. We've all been there." her tone was gentle and reassuring. She knew the studious girl would chastise herself enough without her help. No need to pile on, the damage was done. Zidane knocked on the door and handed Freya a pot of coffee. "Is she okay?" "She's fine." she answered, shutting the door in his face.

—-—-

Zidane skipped dinner. He didn't feel well. He'd forgotten about the wound on his ankle, it had progressed rapidly and he felt hot and dizzy. He didn't remember laying down. The room spun. He felt like he was drowning in sweat. Everything went black.

Dagger woke at midnight. Her head was throbbing. She went to seek out water, but was confronted with pained moaning when she stepped out in the hall. She followed the sound to Zidane's room. His door was cracked, she pushed it open with a creak. "Zidane?" she whispered. She gasped when she saw his blackened, infected ankle. His sheets were wet with sweat, and his pallor was sickly. He couldn't even muster an answer. "Oh gods, Zidane, what happened?" She didn't wait for a response. "LIGHT!" She shouted, concentrating her power. She felt the familiar surge as she cast cure. She repeated the process until she was drained. She collapsed near him. His color had come back. "Thanks." he mumbled, wrapping his sweaty arm around her and nuzzling her. He absorbed her soothing warmth. His mind was filled with comforting visions of red light.

He woke up to her sitting next to him, stroking his hair and looking worried. "Hey." he said, smiling weakly. "I'm so glad you're okay." she said sweetly. They stared at each other, exhausted from the day. Dagger cracked a smile. He sat up and kissed her. She was a little taken aback, given the situation, but she didn't back away. He pulled her next to him and they laid back down. Neither had the energy to do much else at this point, so they just enjoyed the closeness.

Eventually their bodies reacted to the proximity and they began kissing in earnest. He sat up again and began to take his shirt off, but realized that the door was still cracked. Without thinking he stood up to shut it. His ankle gave out and he tripped, causing a row of books to fall, loudly. The noise woke Eiko, who poked her head in after a minute to see what was going on. "Zidane is hurt, I'm just helping him." Dagger explained. "Zidane's hurt?! Let me get Freya!" Before they could stop her she had run off. They were joined by a sleepy Freya a minute later. She was satisfied that there were no mortal wounds and shuffled off back to bed. Unfortunately this commotion woke Steiner, who made his way into the room now. "Princess! What are you doing here?" Before he could begin haranguing them, she pulled the sheet from Zidane's leg dramatically. "He's hurt. I was curing his wound." Steiner seemed satisfied with that answer, but insisted that she follow him out. As she made her way, she bent to pick up the books that had fallen. Zidane noticed that Steiner made no attempt to hide the fact that he was staring intently at her ass. "Goodnight, _Steiner._" Zidane said, with an acid tone of voice. Steiner turned to glare at the boy. Zidane and Dagger said their goodnights, exchanging longing glances.

—-—-

Zidane woke up next to their book. He flipped to the front page and his heart jumped when he saw a new note.

_Zidane,_

_I'm watching you while you heal. You look so peaceful. Thank you for today. I'm sorry about my lack of self control this afternoon, and I'm so grateful that you were with me, because I knew you'd take care of me. When Freya asked me if you'd been untoward, I assured her that you were a perfect gentleman. _

_Dagger _

_P.S._

_The teasing under the table was torture, you must finish that tomorrow. Figure out how we can be alone. _

He was a little annoyed that Freya didn't believe his account and felt the need to confirm. He thought she would know him better than that. After all, he didn't take advantage of Dagger in the ice cave, and while the thing on the airship was forward, he stopped when she said no. Hell, he even apologized to her at the time. It hurt not to be trusted.

Okay. He felt a surge of determination. How do I get her alone? Things with Steiner were bound to come to a head soon, and he wanted to shoot his shot before they were permanently separated.

_Permanently separated._ That idea began to tear at him. He couldn't imagine not being around her now, how was he going to say goodbye after this trip? He didn't allow himself to dwell on that sad thought. He focused on the task at hand.

He was approached by Marcus before he could gather his thoughts. "Tonight's our shift." They had all agreed to split the hunting by the day. Most of the edible creatures in the area were nocturnal, so they set out in teams at night to hunt. Tonight was Zidane's turn. Suddenly his evening went from potentially making love to Dagger to sitting in the rain listening to Marcus grumble.

Dagger was in the common room, reading to Eiko and Vivi. When he broke the news to her, she tried to hide her disappointment from prying little ears. "I hope you two have a successful hunt." she said, smiling disingenuously. He bit his lip and gave her a surprisingly wanton stare. Looking her up and down, he growled "I'll figure something out." and wandered away, flicking his tail in annoyance.

—-—-

The rainy afternoon didn't inspire much socialization, and Dagger was pleased that Steiner seemed content on staying in his room, repairing his chain mail and buffing his armor. Zidane's door was open but he wasn't in his room. She headed to the part of the inn where Tantalus was staying. She hadn't been in the area before. It was older. It looked like perhaps this was an ancient structure that had been added to over the years. The hall got smaller and darker, and when she rounded the corner, she practically tripped over Zidane, who was on the floor reading.

He looked up and smiled. "Hey, the guys went to the bar to play games and get away from here, and I was feeling cooped up in my room, so I decided to take advantage of the fact that no one's here." She sat next to him on the ground. "What are you reading?" "Doesn't matter." He put the book aside and picked her up, causing her to straddle him.

They kissed until she was _very_ aware that he was enjoying himself, due to the position they were in. She was wearing that dress again, and his hands kept making their way further up her skirt. She felt a tug at her panties. He pulled her in as close as he could, now pushing himself against her. After a while of this they ended up lying on the floor, he felt bad about being on top while she was against the cold, bare ground, but she seemed to be enjoying herself enough.

He sat up slightly and looked her in the eyes. "So, I don't know if you want me to, but I was thinking it might be fun to…" he hesitated nervously "go down on you?" She furrowed her brows and tilted her head. "What's that?" Huh. It hadn't occurred to him that her naivete extended to sex, but of course it did. "It's..." he sat up completely, trying to think of how to gently explain this process to her "basically I would just be kissing you, but down there." They both looked down at the panty covered area in question. She made a disgusted face. Uh oh, not good, he thought. "Why would you want to do that?" she asked, looking genuinely confused. "Because it feels good." "For you?" He'd never encountered a girl who didn't know this stuff, he didn't know what to say to her. "Well. Yes. I mean it would be... pleasurable... for me to make you feel good, but this is mostly for your enjoyment." She looked unsure. "Is that something you want to do?" He had _never _had a girl turn this down before, and he knew it wouldn't be a good idea to mention that he had a reputation in Lindblum for being quite good at it. Hmmm. "I don't want to pressure you, Dagger." He leaned in and kissed her again, and they resumed their previous activities.

After a few minutes she brought it up again. "So, it feels good, and isn't unpleasant for you?" "I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to. Seriously." She considered it again. "Ok. I'd like you to do that." His tail swished excitedly.

He laid her down gently. He tried to spread her legs, but she hesitated. "Do you want me to stop?" "No. It's just… no one except Dr. Tot has ever seen…" his tail twitched and he seethed at the idea, though he understood it was medical. That sonofabitch took her horn, he thought. Wouldn't put it past him to have enjoyed himself seeing Dagger like this. He shook those thoughts away, chastising himself for not paying attention to the miracle unfolding before him.

He removed her panties quickly before she had a chance to object again. He kissed her thighs, making his way slowly up. He felt her quiver as his breath gently caressed her sensitive, swollen lips. He nuzzled her, and she moaned quietly. She stiffened a little and he looked up to see her staring down over him. "You'd probably enjoy this more if you laid back and relaxed." he said soothingly. "I just wanted to make sure, it's... I'm ...okay…?" He nodded. "It looks like a flower and tastes like nectar." He licked her now. "You're perfect." he whispered into her thighs. Without stopping what he was doing, he reached up and pushed her gently back down. He wrapped his tail around her waist, which she found comforting. "This is like the hot and cold game, just let me know if something does or doesn't feel good." He looked up and smiled at her, then went back to work. After a while, her body began to tense. She was flowing now, and he greedily licked every drop. When her back began to arch he increase the pressure and intensity to match the waves of tension in her body. Eventually he was drowning in her pleasure, and he knew he'd achieved his goal.

He wanted to stay down there forever, but gods know what time it was or how much longer they'd be undisturbed in this little nook. Her forehead and chest glistened with sweat, her cheeks were flushed. Her smile was relaxed and her eyes looked heavy. She stretched her whole body like a cat. Zidane approved of this new, seductive Dagger. They curled up together, he ignored his own extremely acute urges.

"What does it taste like?" He started to answer, but she leaned in and kissed him, aggressively exploring his tongue with hers. She pulled away and wiped her mouth off. He wondered if she knew how extremely hot and weird that was. He thought of the oglops, and it occurred to him that she wasn't disgusted by things normal girls were. He'd never met anyone like her, and had never wanted anyone more.

They parted ways hesitantly. Neither wanting this intimacy to end, but both knew it couldn't continue if they got caught.

—-—-

Before he left for the night, he made another entry into their book. He wracked his brain, trying to express the feelings he had after their afternoon encounter.

_Dagger,_

_Your taste is still on my tongue. Memories of your beautiful face filled with pleasure will give me comfort on this evening. I can't wait to make you feel that way again. The time apart will be maddening, but our reunion will be sweeter because of it._

_Zidane_

He did his best to imitate the prose of Lord Avon, though he knew it fell short. Hopefully it's enough to impress her. He really wanted to write 'I want you to cum on my face all night.' but figured that might be a little too forward.

He handed the book to her as he headed out the door. It hurt not to be able to at least kiss her before he left, but everyone was still in the common room, granting them no privacy.

Marcus and Zidane made their way toward the opposite side of town than the one that led to the meadow. He was glad he didn't have to pass their spot, it was already hard enough to leave for the night. As they made their way to the outskirts of the wood, they heard rustling. The men drew their weapons and took a ready stance. A red and white pointed hood poked through the wet brush. Marcus grunted, sheathed his weapon and began to move on. Zidane ran to the hooded figure, he wondered if he was just imagining her there. Dagger met him halfway, and they clasped hands. Her warmth was tranquilizing, he felt transported by the tactile sensation. She leaned up, and he bent to meet her lips. Marcus called to Zidane, obviously annoyed at being waylaid. They exchanged reluctant glances, but still didn't speak. She left so quickly that it made their encounter feel ethereal. He knew it was real, because his hands were still soothed by her touch. He ran to catch up with his now extremely grumpy crewmate.

The hunt was successful, Zidane was happy to take his frustration out on the beasts of the wood, and it satisfied him to bring back a bounty. They finished early enough they were able to head back before sunrise. He was grateful to be in his bed again, and as he had written earlier, he comforted himself with visions of her. Several times. He slept well.

—-—-

At breakfast Dagger handed him their book. He waited until he was alone to flip to the increasingly full page. He was shocked and delighted when he saw what she'd penned.

_I want your tongue between my legs again. I want to feel your breath and stubble and fingers. I want to pleasure you in return. I need you. _

WOW. He was filled with excitement seeing these words in her handwriting. Gods, this was more than he could have ever imagined with her. He couldn't wait another moment to respond.

_If you'll have me, we should meet tonight. I need you too. I want to make you cum over and over. _

They exchanged notes like this the rest of the day, becoming increasingly more graphic as their passions ramped up. They made no attempt to hide the swap, passing the book and pen back and forth, filling page after page with descriptions of their lust.

They finalized their plans and Zidane agreed to head to bed early to make it less obvious that they'd be meeting later.

—-—-

Shortly before midnight, the future queen quietly exited her room. She padded toward Zidane's chamber, but stopped when she heard her name called from the shadows of the common room.

"Garnet."

It was Blank. He stepped into the light and she was horrified to see he had their book in his hands.

"What are you doing?" He handed her the book. She was mortified that they'd been so careless.

"I'm-"

"I know what you're doing. Do you?"

She looked puzzled. Her heart raced, and the excitement she felt dissipated. She stood there nervously as he continued.

"You might think that Zidane is some girl-crazy lothario, but he's got feelings too. You're capable of hurting him more than you can imagine."

Her eyes welled up. She didn't know how to respond. She was putting herself at risk too, she thought. Her head spun. Feelings rose inside her that she hadn't acknowledged up until now.

"Just go. Make him happy for one night."

He shook his head and walked away. She stood there holding the book to her chest, speechless and worried, reconsidering her plan. Eventually she gathered her thoughts and headed to his room.

She tried not to show her feelings, but Zidane sensed something was wrong. He helped out of her cloak and they sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking concerned. She smiled weakly, and laid back on his bed, sighing. Now _he_ was worried, but he wasn't sure why. "Dagger, is everything okay? If you don't want to do this we don't have to." He looked sincere. "Whatever you want to do is fine, even if it's just laying here together." he continued, taking her hand. She sat up and leaned on his shoulder, still saying nothing.

"What happens after this?" He was quiet for a moment. He wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't want to think about it, and hadn't allowed himself to dwell on the idea up until now.

"We can figure it out when we get back, I suppose." he reassured her, unsure if that was the right thing to say or whether it was even true.

He heard her sniffle, and put his arms around her, listening to her suppress sobs. He felt the same, but attempted to hold himself together so he could comfort her. His heart dropped into his stomach. They held each other, saying nothing, until the clock chimed 12 times, bringing them back to the present.

—-—-

Zidane made the first move. He slid her nightgown over her head and laid her down. Her cheeks and nose were still red from crying. He kissed her breasts, then rested his head on her stomach while she stroked his hair affectionately. Their bond was exquisite while they enjoyed this poignant moment of intimacy.

He nibbled lightly on her stomach and began to work his way down. She spread her legs easily this time, and he didn't hesitate to remove her panties. She was already slippery and swollen, her hips buckled as tickled and teased her. He felt her cum before he tasted it. The muscle contractions followed by the flow of her wetness was familiar now, and he reveled in her wetness. This time he didn't limit himself to giving her one orgasm, staying down there until he felt her body twitch with pleasure.

Making his way back up, he paid attention to her now rigid nipples, circling them with his tongue before suckling gently. He positioned himself on top of her, and she could feel how hard he was despite a layer of fabric covering him. She wrapped her legs around him and he pushed against her until her heard her react with a quiet moan.

He could feel pre-cum and he didn't want to let loose this early, so he backed off a little, going back down on her until she came again.

"Is that what sex feels like?" she asked after her finished her. "No, sex is way better." he said without pause.

"Can we have sex?"

He sat up. This was it, he thought. Then something crossed his mind. "Dagger, are you a virgin?" he knew the answer, but wasn't sure how else to broach the subject. "Yes." she answered, sitting up now as well. They stared at each other for a moment. She pulled the blanket up and covered herself, to his disappointment. Why am I the voice of reason in this relationship? he thought, aggravated at himself for not being able to throw caution to the wind for once. He thought about the other day in the hall, and decided to see what she _did _know about the subject of sex.

"Do you know about…" how the hell can he word this? Before he collected his thoughts, she interrupted. "Yes. I know about the hymen and the fact that it will hurt. I know that men must finish or it hurts them as well. I know that it may hurt even after the first time, or that I may not be able to make enough lubrication and it may sometimes bleed from friction. I'm willing to try with you. I've always been afraid of the idea, but I trust you not to hurt me." The horror on his face grew with each sentence she spoke. "WHAT? Oh no! No no no. Oh gods, Dagger, I can't believe they taught you that. It should only hurt a little bit, at the very beginning. It should _never _hurt after that. If you aren't wet enough it's because you're not aroused or are having an issue, and no one should force you if it's like that. And that stuff about guys having to cum is just something they tell you to guilt you into sex, seriously." It sounded to him like they were training her to be some prince's fuck toy, with no agency of her own. He had to hide his anger when he spoke again. "Dagger, no matter what, if your body says no, don't let someone force you." He was still in shock at the idea that she would potentially be getting raped or hurt by some royal asshole. He felt so protective of her suddenly.

"There's something else." She watched him intently as he spoke. "When two people-" "I know the basics, Zidane." she chuckled. "No I'm being serious." Her smile dropped. "When you get this physically close… it can get emotional." She smiled reassuringly. "Okay. I've thought about it, and I'm comfortable with that." she said, having not actually thought about it.

"Not you."

She slowly realized what he meant.

"Oh."

They sat together not saying anything for a moment. She slid closer to him. He didn't put his arm around her, which made her ache for his comfort. She suddenly felt so exposed. This was much more intimate than their physical acts, and her emotions were raw. She wondered now if she felt the same, if what she said a minute ago was a lie.

He had a faraway look for a moment, but shook his head and let out a something between a grunt and a roar. "I want you." He met her gaze with such fierceness that the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. He pushed her down and spread her legs, diving back in face first. "Wait, I thought we were going to-" he looked up at her and gave her a devilish grin. "Be patient." Suddenly she understood. Is that his…? Oh! It's his finger! He probed for a moment and then spoke: "This is the same hot and cold game, just show me what you like so I can make you feel good." She made sure he knew when he found the spot he was looking for. He felt the familiar contractions, though from the inside this time. He pulled away before she finished, and she looked disappointed. "I have to get a condom." "Oh, is that something you need?" She'd heard the term and knew it was related to sex, but wasn't actually sure what it was for. "Uh, yeah, trust me on this." He was grateful that he happened to have one, but sad that it was only one.

He climbed on top of her, and they kissed, entwining tongues. She wrapped her legs around him, and he started to enter her. He paused before he got far. "Oh that didn't hurt." she said, a little surprised. "No I haven't… that's just the tip." "Oh!" Her eyes widened a little. They sat there not moving, staring at each other awkwardly for a moment. "I don't want to hurt you!" he blurted out with a worried look on his face. She looked amused. "Well someone has to. Would you like me to go somewhere else to have it taken care of first?" He was incensed. "No! Aw c'mon, don't even joke like that." He was still inside her, which he found both arousing and strange. He'd never had a conversation with someone like this. "Have you never taken a girl in this manner?" He didn't want to tell her that he was pretty sure most of the women he knew had _never _been virgins, so he answered simply:

"Not with someone I love."

That broke the tension and they kissed passionately. "I'm sorry." he said as he pushed his way deeper inside her. She let a little gasp out and he felt her nails digging into his back, but after a moment she relaxed. "Is it okay? Does this feel good?" "Yes." He smiled and wrapped his tail around her arm. The heightened sensitivity of her skin added to the pleasure she got from the tickle of his fur.

He made love to her until he felt her orgasm. She squeezed so hard it almost hurt. He would have liked to go longer, or bring her to completion more than once, but it was becoming hard to contain himself. "I wish this could last forever, but I think I'm gonna cum." "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. "What you're doing is perfect." he mumbled into her neck, as he changed the angle slightly. He released inside her and collapsed. He laid on top of her, their limbs still tangled, he was dripping sweat, her breath was ragged. He kissed her and rolled over.

He stood up and headed to the bathroom to throw the condom away. "So what is that for?" she asked from across the room. He made his way back and sat on the bed next to her. "It's barrier to keep you from getting pregnant." "Oh, I can't get pregnant." she said matter-of-factly. He gave her a look of concerned confusion. "Dr. Tot-" (the name made his tail twitch) "gives shots to female nobles and royalty, and when they're married they're given a second shot to reverse it. I believe it's something to do with hormones." She smiled at his confusion. "Do you ever hear about those sorts of women having babies out of wedlock? I can assure you I have many cousins and childhood acquaintances who would be in that position if it weren't for this treatment." She paused. "And princes don't take 'no' for an answer." He shuddered at the idea of giving involuntary birth control shots for the benefit of pushy guys to take advantage. He found the inner workings of royalty to be far more disturbing than he could have imagined. He decided to redirect the conversation.

"Damn, I wish I had known, it feels a lot better without one." She pursed her lips and looked thoughtful for a moment "Can we do it again then?" He wrapped his tail around her waist and gave her an affectionate smile. "Sure."

He leaned in and kissed her, they began to reposition themselves when she noticed the blood. "I made a mess." she said, looking embarrassed. She made a pained face, to which he asked if she was still hurting. "There's a little cramping." He looked sympathetic. "Let me see if I can help." He laid her back down and slid his fingers inside her. After finding the spot, he worked on bringing her to orgasm again. After she came, he asked if it helped. She was surprised that it did, to which he explained that she was probably just a little tense still. She apologized again for the mess she'd made, he reassured her that it was natural, and that he wasn't bothered by it at all. He didn't mention that he was extremely turned on by it. He looked at the bloody handprint on the sheet, proudly admiring his work.

They made love for hours, exerting themselves so much that at one point he had to get them a pitcher of water and a small snack to keep up their energy. The room felt humid from sweat. Nearly a year of tension expressed itself all over the sheets of his bed.

They both groaned when the clock struck 4. He grabbed a towel and they cleaned themselves up. Each still felt a measure of disbelief that this night had happened. Neither of them felt like the same person. Dagger understood immediately what Zidane meant during their earlier conversation. She felt connected with him on an entirely different level than she'd ever felt with anyone. It was intrinsic now.

They said their goodbyes. Heading back to her room, still sticky with Zidane's love, she realized wasn't reluctant to leave because she knew in her heart they'd be together again when she woke.

Eiko stirred and poked her head down from the top bunk, inquiring on the princess's whereabouts that evening, Dagger lied and told her she felt unwell and had left to use a different restroom to avoid disturbing her roommates.

"Hope you feel better." the small summoner wished solemnly.

"I already do." she replied, with more truth than Eiko could have imagined.

—-—-

Dagger felt glorious. After slipping on her dress, she did her best to imitate the hairstyle Zidane had given her on their first picnic. She even put a little rouge on her cheeks. Her smile was dreamy. Wandering out of her room, lost in thought, she sang to herself. Making her way to the common area, she waltzed from window to window, humming her melody as she lifted the shades to let the sunlight in. It was a lovely day. There was some grumbling about the light from the Tantalus, but she playfully teased the crew about their trollish tendency to enjoy cramped, dark spaces. They actually laughed along with her, her cheerful attitude was contagious.

Steiner was similarly won over by her mood. "Princess, it does my heart good to see you in such high spirits." he said affectionately. Freya agreed, and caught Dagger's eye. They exchanged glances, and the princess wondered whether she had inferred the cause of her joy.

When Eiko joined them, she commented on Dagger's cheerful disposition and wardrobe. The princess clasped Eiko's hands and spun her merrily. "It's a beautiful day!" she declared as she set the girl down, and headed toward Zidane's room. She was disappointed to see his room empty. Heading back to the common area, she heard someone fumbling with the door to the inn, and reached for the knob to help. Opening it brought her face to face with Zidane, holding a bushel of apples, flanked by Vivi. He made his way in, and the couple stood in the foyer for a moment, gazing into each other's eyes.

"I got some fruit." he said, still holding the basket. "It looks good." she gave him a private smile. "Want one?" he asked. "Yes, please." she said reaching into the container. "Oh let me make sure it's a good one, some of these are kind of mealy." He set them down and rummaged through until he found one to his liking. "Wait, let me see if this one's okay." he said, taking a bite. He seemed satisfied and handed her the bitten apple. She held it in her hands for a moment, then looked deeply into his eyes as she bit into the same spot. This was a poor substitute for a kiss, but she appreciated being able to taste him. They stood there staring at each other, passing the fruit back and forth. Their intimacy was palpable, and Steiner tried to interrupt their moment to admonish the princess for sharing food with Zidane. She didn't so much as glance at the knight while she dismissed his concerns.

—-—-

"Zidane! Sir! Are you hurt?" The innkeeper and his wife raced over to where the couple stood. Taken off guard, Zidane answered: "Uh, no?" He looked around in confusion, then remembering his arm. "Oh I got this in the crash, it's healing though." The proprietors looked at each other and then back at him. "We sent our daughter to do housekeeping this morning, and she said there was blood all over your room." Dagger gasped and dropped the apple, drawing attention to herself. She didn't look at the group. Her breathing quickened, she felt panic rising in her throat.

"Where is the blood?" Freya asked. She was met with a pleading stare from the princess and immediately realized her mistake.

The innkeepers called their daughter to recount what she'd found. The girl held the sheet up for the room to see. Everyone stared at the bloody handprint. Dagger felt like she was going to pass out.

Zidane's normally quick wit was failing, and he fumbled to give an explanation. "Is it your ankle?" Dagger asked, eyes filled with desperation. "Uh, yeah musta been." he said, relieved she had come up with something. "Your ankle looked healed two days ago." Steiner growled menacingly. He stepped forward, causing Zidane to put his hands on the hilt of his knives, meeting the knight's unflinching stare.

"Boy, you guys are a mess!" Eiko piped up, not understanding the subtext of the conversation. "Princess Dagger was out sick all night and you're over here bleeding!"

"Where were you last night?" Steiner addressed the princess with deadly seriousness. Dagger didn't answer. She stared at the ground as if hoping she could will herself out of the room, nails nervously digging into the flesh of the apple she had picked back up.

He turned now to Eiko. "Where was the princess last night?" he asked in a tone that brought the little girl to tears. She looked at Dagger, confused, and saw her mournful expression. "I don't know." Eiko answered, sobbing. Freya came over and led her out by her hand.

"I will ask one more time, Princess. Where WERE you last night?"

"None of your business." Zidane stepped forward, matching Steiner's intensity, his hands still wrapped around the end of his knives. His stance became aggressive.

"IT IS _EXACTLY _MY BUSINESS." Steiner roared, unsheathing his sword and barreling toward Zidane, who drew his knives.

Everyone jumped up at once, Dagger placed herself between the two men, Blank raced over and grabbed Zidane's arm, Freya ran over to try to drag Steiner back. The Tantalus troupe rose to their feet at once, shouting.

"**ENOUGH.**" Dagger's voice bellowed like a decisive thunderclap. Her necklace glowed. She looked powerful in this moment.

Everyone stopped to stare at her. She looked at the sheet, her virginity on display for everyone to see, then turned to Zidane. He saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. Dropping his knives with a clatter, he rushed over, encompassing her with his arms.

"I'm so sorry." he whispered, kissing the top of her head. Suddenly everyone was witness to their intimate feelings. No one spoke, even Steiner backed away. She cried into Zidane's chest. "Everyone knows." she sobbed. "I know. I'm sorry." he said quietly. "It was supposed to be private." He let out a little laugh at this, surprising everyone in the room. "You're a princess. The whole kingdom was gonna know eventually. At least it's just these idiots and not some royal announcement complete with commemorative souvenirs." he smiled, gesturing broadly in the direction of the onlookers. He got the reaction he hoped for with this, and her body relaxed.

"I bet you're exhausted, I know you didn't get much sleep last night." he said, meeting Steiner's gaze with a smug smile to make sure he got the implication. Using his tail to retrieve his knives, he picked her up and carried her out of the room. The crowd parted, and the innkeeper apologized quietly to Zidane as he passed by.

—-—-

Carrying Dagger to his room, she held him tight. He set her down and excused himself to take care of something. She was too tired to protest.

He charged back into the main room, knives out, ready for a fight. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he shouted as he lunged. Steiner met his weapon with a clang. Everyone in the room, including the innkeepers, worked to separate the man and boy. A wide berth was given when Zidane's trance began to take effect. His newly grown fur glistened pink, his tail sparked. The brilliance of the transformation was temporarily blinding. "You have no right to be obsessed with Dagger's sex life. IT'S WEIRD!" he continued feverishly. "You're an old man! You're supposed to protect her, but I see the way you look at her. You're disgusting!" he tried to lunge again but Blank grabbed his arm. He was the only one who wasn't terrified of Zidane's glowing rage.

The rivals stood there for a moment without moving, sizing each other up. Steiner sheathed his sword. He knew he'd be bested if he confronted Zidane in this state. He also knew the law and the governing bodies of Alexandria were on his side. Let this foolish monkey do what he pleased, he thought. He'll pay the price when we return to civilization. It was unfortunate that the princess would have her heart broken in the process, but it was a lesson to be learned for both.

"You'll rue this when we return to the kingdom." he declared.

Zidane gave him a wary look, but then smiled. It was not a friendly smile. "I'm going to go take what's mine." He strode off confidently toward his room.

Dagger was shocked to see him in trance. He must have fought Steiner, she thought. He picked her up with uncanny strength and threw her on the bed, climbing on top of her, biting her neck and grunting. "Hey! Ow!" "Sorry." his apology was insincere and his voice was husky. She'd never seen him like this. "I need you now." it sounded like a command. Dagger was surprised that she felt aroused by his urgent insistence. He didn't take her clothes off gently as before, but rather lifted her skirt, almost ripping her panties as he flung them wildly across the room.

She smelled electricity. The magenta fur was much softer than his tail, and she found herself enjoying the tickling sensation as he made his way inside her without pause. He did not play the hot and cold game, instead he was rough and clinical, not worried about her pleasure. His grunts sounded almost pained. It took him very little time to finish, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to walk after the way he manhandled her. The glow dimmed. His fur was gone. He was Zidane again. He collapsed on top of her and they slept until late afternoon.

They were undisturbed in their bonding for the rest of the week. No one dared bother them.

—-—-

Two weeks flew by. Quina was healed. Tantalus made their way back to the Prima Vista to begin repairs. The rest of the group expected to be picked up by an airship within the next day. Steiner had sent word via chocobo and heard back from the Lindblum regent.

He didn't mention that a second airship was confirmed to be on the way the evening before. In the dead of night, joined by a guard sent from the castle, Steiner woke the princess, grabbing her things hastily, spiriting her away without a chance to say goodbye. They were gone before dawn. Nothing could have prepared Zidane for what waking up to this information would feel like.

They headed back to Alexandria. His soul felt empty. He was broken.

—-—-

Zidane walked into a bar.


End file.
